Match-box.



No. 725,822. PATENTED APR. 21, 1903. J. W. BUNCH. MATCH BOX. APPLICATIONFILED SEPT. 20, 1901. no MODEL.

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PATENTED APR. 21, 1903.

J. W. BUNCH.

MATCH BOX.

APPLICATION FILED snr'r. 20. 1901.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

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PATENTED APR. 21, 1903.

J. W. BUNCH.

MATCH BOX.

APPLICATION FILED snr'r. 20, 1901.

N0 MODEL.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

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JOHN W. BUNCH, OF KEOKUK, IOWA,

P. HORNISH AND CHARLES ASSIGNOR OF TWO-TI-IIRDS TO JOHN WOLFE, OFKEOKUK, IOWA.

MATCH-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 725,822, dated April21, 1903.

Application filed September 20, 1901. Serial No. 75,881. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

-Be it known that I, JOHN \V. BUNCH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Keoknk, in the county of Lee and State of Iowa, haveinvented a new and useful Match- Box, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to match-boxes, and particularly to that classadapted for performing the double function of a match-box and amatch-safe.

The object of the invention is to present a match-box of a constructionthat will permit the removal of the matches without necessitating theopening of the box for the purpose Y and in which accidental escape ofthe matches therefrom will be obviated. l

Afurther object of the invention is to pre-' sent an article of theclass specified which will be simple in construction, easy ofmanufacture, and cheap of production and which shall possess novelfeatures in the manner of arrangement of its parts which will tend torender the same desirable in use over the ordinary form of match-boxusually employed.

With these and other objects in View, as will appear as the nature ofthe invention is better understood, the same consists in the novelconstruction and combination of parts of a match-box, as will behereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andin which like characters of referenceindicate corresponding parts,thereare illustrated several forms of the embodiment of the invention capableof carrying the same into practical operation, it being understood thatthe elements therein exhibited may be varied or changed as to shape,proportion, and exact manner of assemblage without departing from thescope of the invention, and in the drawings- Figure 1 is a view inperspective of one form of embodiment of the invention.-- Fig. 2 is aview of the blank from which the box of Fig. l is made. Fig. 3-is a Viewin perspective of another form of embodiment of the invention. Fig. 4:is a view of the blank form from which the box of Fig. 3 is made. Fig. 5is a view in perspective of another form of embodiment of the invention.Fig. 6 is a view of a blank from which the box of view of a blank fromwhich the box of Fig. 9

is made. Fig. 11 isa view in rear of perspective of another form ofembodiment of the invention. Fig. 12 is a view of a blank from which thebox of Fig. 11 is made.

The features common to each of the forms of match-box herein shown arean opening in the front through which the fingers may be inserted forremoving the matches, a slot at or near the topof the box to permitremoval of the matches from the box, retaining means to prevent thematches from escaping from the boxwhen being shipped or handled, and aclip or tongue by which the box may be suspended.

Referring to the drawings, and to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, 1 designatesthe box, and 2 the blank from which the same is made. In each of thefigures illustrating the blank the dotted lines indicate where the foldsofthe blank are made to present the finished box. The front of the box6, which is bounded by the dotted lines a, e, and d, is provided with avertical opening or slot 3, through which the fingers of the user areinserted when the matches are removed from the'box. In folding the boxshown in Fig. 1 the front is produced by bending the blank on the dottedlines a, the sides 5 being formed by the portions of the blank boundedby the dotted lines I) b, c, andf, the backbeing formed by two flaps 6,which are bent on the lines I) and are held assembled by providing oneof the flaps with two curved slots 7, which are engaged by the sideportions of the other flap, the latter being cut away, as at 8, in orderto permit insertion within the slots 7. These parts may then be secured,as by being pasted together. The bottom comprises a threemembered flap9, whereof the center member is bent on the lines (1 to constitute thebottom proper of the box and the members 10 on the lines o to be foldedin against the member 9 to present the completed bottom, and these flapsmay also be pasted together. The

top comprises a three-membered flap, whereof the center flap 11 is bentinward on the lines 6 to close the top of the box and the side members12 are bent at right angles on the linesfin upon the top, where they maybe secured by being pasted thereto. The suspending-clip of hanger 13 isformed by making two incisions 14 in the top on lines diverging fromeach other and then bending out the tongue thus formed on the line g toposition shown at Fig. 1, the tongue being provided with an opening 15,by which the box may be suspended from a nail or the like. To obviateinterference with the fingers of a person removing a match, the sideflaps 12 are cut away, as shown at 16. The portion of the frontterminating at 17 with the slits 4 constitutes spring or resilientretaining means for the matches, as it will be seen that they will yieldwithout any objectionable pressure when a match is being withdrawn andwill resume their normal position after such withdrawal, thus to preventany escape or scattering of the matches from the box when being shippedor handled. Furthermore, the angular disposition of these slots furtheroperate to keep the matches safely within the box. The open space 17formed in the top of the box by the tongue 13, forms the means by whichthe fingers of the person removing matches from the box may pass tobring the match opposite the slots 4, while the overhanging portions ofthe top on each side of the opening 17 will prevent the matches fromescaping from that end of the box.

The opening 3 does not extend to the bot tom of the box, as hereinillustrated; but it is to be understood that, if preferred, it may be soextended.

In the form of box shown in Figs. 3 and 4t the back 18 is produced bythe portion of the blank forming the front of the box shown in Fig. 1,and the side flaps 6 when folded to position present the opening 3. Thematch-escape slots 4 are formed between the upper edges of the flaps 6and the under surface of the flaps 12, the'outer edges of these latterflaps being disposed at an angle to the bottom of the box and incut, asat 19, to present two fingers 20, which coact with two similar fingers21, formed in the upper edges of the side flaps to present a slotthrough which the matches may be removed, these fingers coacting witheach other to prevent accidental escape of matches from the box. Theside flaps 6 terminate short of the fingered portion of the flap 12 topresent a slot 22, through which the matches may be drawn, as clearlyshown in Fig. 3; but, as above pointed out, the coacting fingers 20 and21 will operate to hold the matches within the box until removed by aperson desiring to use the same. The suspending clip or tongue 13 in theform of embodiment of invention shown in these figures may be formed byslits made in the center flap 11 of the top, as shown shown in Figs. 5and 6. The opening corresponding to 17 in Fig. 1 is produced by makingthe top fiat 11 narrower than the length of the side flaps 12, so thatthe fingers of the person removing the match may be lifted a sufficientdistance within the box before contacting the top flap 11 to bring thematch opposite the escape-slot 22. The side flaps 10 are cut away, sothat when folded up against the bottom of the box they will lie whollywithin sides of the box. All of the overlapping or contacting parts ofthe box may be held associated by any suitable adhesive substance, suchas is usually employed in holding the parts of a pasteboard boxassembled.

In the form of box shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the clip or tongue 13 isformed by cutting an incision 24 in the back of the box and then bendingthe tongue up, as shown in Fig. 5. The fingers 20 are dispensed with andthe fingers 21 relied upon for keeping the matches in the box, thefingered portion of the side flaps terminating short of the flaps 12 topresent the slot 22. With this exception the manner of assembling theparts of the box is the same as that described in connection with Figs.3 and 4. There is a difference, however, in the manner in which the sideflaps are folded, for whereas the front sections of the box shown inFig. 3 are parallel with the backs, those shown in Fig. 5 are disposedat oppositely-disposed angles thereto, by which arrangement when thematches are drawn from the box only that portion intermediate of itsends will bear against the front, the two end portions being out ofcontact therewith, whereby danger of igniting the match in removing fromthe box will be reduced to a minimu [11. To effect this result, there isan inverted-V-shaped slot provided in each of the lower flaps 10 inalin'ement with the dotted lines Z), by which arrangement when the flaps10 are turned in and the side flaps 6 folded down upon them these latterflaps will be caused to occupy an angular position with relation to theback of the box, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The open space 17 in thisform of box is formed by removing an angular-shaped piece from the top,asshown at 25.

In the form of box shown in Figs. 7 and 8 the tongue 13 is formed in thesame manner as that shown in Fig. 6. The space 17 is formed by removingan angnlar-shaped piece from the top flap, as in Fig. 6, thespringretaining fingers 20 being formed by removing a V-shaped piece atthe top on each side of the space 17 the spring-fingers 21 beingsimilarly formed in the side flaps 6, as shown in Fig. 6. The bottomflap 9 is provided with an extension 26, which when the box is folded upis pasted to the outside of the front, as shown in Fig. 7, the opening 3being formed by the space between the side flaps 6 in the same manner asin Figs. 3 and 5.

In the form of box shown in Figs. 9 and 10 the tongue 13 is formed inthe same manner ICC IIO

as that shown in Figs. 6 and 8. The retaining-fingers 21 are formed inthe top of the side flaps 6 and the fingers in the side of the top flaps12, the opening 3 being formed in the same manner as described inconnection with Figs. 3, 5, and 7. The bottom flap 9 is provided withanextension 27, provided with incuts 28, which are designed to engage withsimilar incuts 29, formed in the lower outer corners of the side flaps6, the center portions of the extension 27 being designed to be securedto the front, as shown in Fig. 9.

In Figs. 11 and 12 is shown a form of box in which the filling isefiected from the back thereof, and to effect this the opening 3 isformed in that portion of the blank which constitutes the back in allthe figures except Fig. 1. The side flaps 6 are provided adjacent to theupper and lower ends with notches to be engaged when the blank is foldedup into box-like form by shouldered oifsets 31, carried by the flaps 9and 11, the offsets after the box is filled to be folded down andsecured to the back by a paste or the like. The tongue 13 is formedpartly by two incisions made in the top flap 11, as shown in Fig. 2, andpart-1y by the material of the box removed in forming the opening 3, thetop side flaps 12 being constructed and assembled with the top flap 11in substantially the same manner as shown and described in connectionwith Figs. 1 and 2. In this form of device the matches are removedthrough the opening left by the tongue; but it is to be understood that,if preferred, the upper portions of the front on each side of theopening may be cut away to present the escape-slot 22, (shown'in each ofthe figures,) and as this will be obvious illustration is deemedunnecessary.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that although a varietyof forms of boxes is herein shown there is a common underlying principleinherent to all of themnamely, the: provision of means for permittingready removal of the matchesfrom the receptacle, said means operating toprevent accidental escape of the matches therefrom, Further, each of theforms herein shown is made of a single piece of material, and as thismay be stamped out by suitable machinery and be readily folded to shapethe production of the article may be accomplished at a small cost.

While but six different forms of embodi ment of the invention are hereinillustrated,it will be obvious that the same ideas may be carried intoeffect in various other ways and still be within the scope of theinvention, and for this reason it is to be understood that'the inventionis not to be confined to what is illustrated and described herein.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A match box or safe provided at itsfront with an opening,amatch-escape slot disposed near the upper portion thereof, and yieldingfingers, constituting match-retaining means, arranged above the slot.

2. A matchbox or safe comprising a blank foldable into' box-like form toconstitute a divided front, a closed back, and closed sides and ends,suspending means carried by the upper portion of the box, the front. ofthe box being provided in its upper end with a matchescape slot, andmatch-retaining means adjacent to the slot.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses. 1

JOHN W. BUNCH.

Witnesses:

J OHN P. HORNISH, CHARLES H. WOLFE.

